Cookies, which are also called biscuits in some parts of the world, are small, flat baked goods that are made from a sweet, flour-based dough. Cookies are a very versatile dessert that can be made with nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or other sweet or savory additions. They can also be made into sandwiches separated by a layer of jam or sweet filling, or sometimes they are covered in a layer of chocolate or icing. Cookies can also be added into other desserts, made into healthy snacks by using fruit purees and grains, or can be used as a base layer or topping for other dishes. While there are many types of pre-made cookies that you can purchase from the store, it’s also fairly simple to make your own homemade cookies, and with a basic cookie recipe, you can customize or personalize the dough to suit any taste!

Ingredients

Basic Cookie Dough

1 1/8 cup (250 g) margarine or butter, softened

⅔ cup (134 g) sugar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar

1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda

2 tsp (12 ml) vanilla extract

2 cups (300 g) flour

Steps

Part 1

Making Basic Cookies

1

Preheat your oven. Set it to 350 F (176.7 C). As the oven heats up, gather your ingredients and your tools: a small bowl, a medium bowl, a wooded spoon, a baking sheet, and a wire cooling rack.

Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper if desired.

If you aren’t using parchment paper or a non-stick baking sheet, grease the baking sheet.

2

Mix the vinegar and baking soda together. Mix them in the small bowl and set the mixture aside to let it foam for a couple minutes.

3

Cream the butter and sugar together. Use the medium bowl and the wooded spoon to mix the two until they form a smooth, creamy batter. Add the baking soda–vinegar mixture and the vanilla. Stir to combine.

Sift in the flour. Once you’ve added all the flour, stir the mixture until it comes together to form a nice dough. If necessary, knead it with your hands to bring the last of it together.[1] Possible additional ingredients can be added now, such as:

Drop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet. Use tablespoon-sized balls of dough, leaving one to two inches between the dough to allow the cookies to spread out. Bake for 15 minutes. When the cookies are ready, transfer them to a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool to room temperature.

6

Experiment! This basic cookie dough can be turned into chocolate, peanut butter, and chocolate chip cookies, or any other type of cookie you can dream of! Experiment with different sugars, flours, extracts, and additional ingredients to find your favorite cookie recipe.

For flavored cookies, substitute the vanilla for maple, almond, peppermint, or another extract.

For citrus cookies, add a tablespoon (15 g) of lemon or orange zest.

For chocolate cookies, add ¼ cup (29 g) of cocoa plus one to two tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of water or milk.

Part 2

Eating a Cookie

1

Choose your favorite cookie. There are thousands of kinds of cookies throughout the world, and everyone has a different idea about what makes a perfect cookie. Some people prefer them chewy while others like them crunchy. Others still like chunky, versus those who prefer soft and smooth. There are also different styles and flavors, and it’s up to you to find your favorite!

If you have food allergies, watch out for cookies that contain common allergens, such as soy, egg, nuts, dairy products, or anything else that might cause a reaction.

2

Eat your cookie. Although there are lots of special ways to eat a cookie, you can also simply eat the cookie. Cookies can be picked up with your hands. Some cookies are bite-sized and meant to be eaten in one bite, but for most cookies, take small bites. Always chew your food thoroughly.

To prevent choking and to help your body digest food more easily, you should chew soft foods about 10 times and hard foods up to 30 times before swallowing.[2]

3

Wash it down with a beverage. Cookies are often served with a hot or cold beverage, such as tea, milk, hot chocolate, or coffee. To wash your cookie down with a beverage, finish chewing and swallowing your bite of cookie, then take a sip of your beverage.

4

Dunk your cookie. Your beverage can also be used for dunking, which should be reserved for informal settings like at home or at a friend’s house Try not to dunk cookies in a formal setting, like at a dinner party or a fine-dining restaurant. To dunk a cookie:

Hold the cookie by one end and dip the other end into a glass of milk, tea, or the like.

Hold the cookie in the liquid for a few seconds: long enough for it to absorb some of the liquid, but not so long that the cookie begins to break apart.

Put the wetted cookie portion into your mouth and bite it off. You can now eat the rest of the cookie normally, or continue dunking.

When you no longer have enough cookie left, avoid dunking your fingers into your beverage to soak your cookie. Instead, eat the remainder of the cookie and wash it down with your beverage. You’ll likely find some tasty cookie bits at the bottom!

5

Peel apart sandwich cookies. Cookie sandwiches, such as Oreos, have two layers of cookie separated by icing or jam. To peel these layers apart to get at the icing in between, grab each layer of the cookie with a different hand. Place your fingertips around the circumference of each cookie layer. Gently twist as you pull the layers away from each other.

Eat or dunk the top layer of cookie (the one that doesn’t have any icing).

You can lick off the icing from the other layer, or eat or dunk it normally.

Part 3

Using Raw Cookie Dough

1

Make bite-sized cookie dough balls. Raw cookie dough that doesn’t contain eggs is safe to eat raw,[3] and can be eaten alone or added to other desserts. To make cookie dough balls:

Divide your favorite cookie dough into tablespoon-sized bits. Use your hands to roll the dough bits into small balls. Chill them in the fridge before serving to prevent them from becoming too soft and doughy.

Use the dough balls immediately, or store them in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 12 months.[4]

2

Add cookie dough to ice cream. Cookie dough balls can be added to many forms of ice cream, including sundaes and milkshakes. To add them to a bowl of ice cream, let the ice cream sit for a few minutes to soften up. When it’s soft enough, add the desired amount of cookie dough balls to the bowl and mix them into the ice cream. Serve in a bowl with a spoon, or transfer to a cone.

To add cookie dough to a milk shake, add the balls after the milk shake has been blended, otherwise they will be blended up and lost in the milk shake.

3

Make truffles. Cookie dough can be made into cookie dough truffles by simply adding a chocolate coating.[5] Use a double boiler to melt one cup of chocolate chips. When the chips are melted, remove them from the heat.

You can use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even butterscotch chips to make the truffle coating.

Coat the cookie dough balls. One at a time, roll each cookie dough ball in the chocolate to coat completely. Transfer the chocolate-covered cookie dough balls to a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

When you’ve covered all the balls, transfer the cookie dough truffles to the freezer to let the chocolate set. Serve cold.

Part 4

Creating Cookie Pizzas, Cakes, and Sandwiches

1

Make a cookie sandwich. Bake your favorite basic cookies and allow them to cool. Flip over half the cookies so the tops are facing down and the bottoms up. Cover the cookie bottoms with your favorite filling, then place another cookie on top with the top facing up. Popular filling choices include:

A one-inch layer of ice cream

A thin layer of icing

A thin layer of peanut butter and jam

Whipped cream

Fruit compote

2

Make a cookie ice cream cake. Take a fresh batch of cookie dough and press it into the bottom of a greased nine-inch (23 cm) pie plate. In a 350 F (176.7 C) oven, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the dough becomes golden brown. Allow to cool.[6]

When the cookie base has cooled, add enough of your favorite ice cream to fill the rest of the pie dish. Pack the ice cream down. Cut into slices and serve as is, or top with whipped cream or chocolate sauce.

3

Create a cookie pizza. Whip up a fresh batch of cookie dough. Grease a large, round baking sheet, and spread the dough out evenly over the baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool.

Spread a thin layer of your favorite dessert sauce over top of the cookie, such as chocolate hazelnut spread, caramel sauce, nut butter, or marshmallow spread.

Top that with your favorite candy toppings, such as chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts, marshmallows, coconut shreds, and other candies.[7]

Cut into pizza slices and serve.

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